Gray Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Western Mugwort, Western Wormwood
Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. candicans
Synonym: Artemisia ludoviciana var. latiloba
The photo above shows a close-up of some of the stem leaves of western wormwood (ssp. candicans) as seen on the west bank of the Deschutes River at its mouth..........October 7, 2006. Note the variablility of leaf margins for this species as well as the dense covering of white, appressed hairs on both surfaces of the leaves.
Characteristics:
Upright, aromatic herbaceous plant with numerous flower heads
clustered close to the upper part of the main stem. The flower heads are discoid,
with 6-45 yellowish disk flowers, depending on the variety. Leaves are entire
to deeply parted or divided. Plants are somewhat silvery haired. Flowers from
July into October.
Habitat:
Western wormwood is a wildflower that may be found in dry open
places.
Range:
Western wormwood is found mostly east of the Cascades and Sierra
Nevada, but is otherwise common in the western United States.
In the Columbia River Gorge, Artemisia ludoviciana is
found at an elevation of 0'-400' throughout much of the gorge, from the Sandy
River in the west on east.
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The 3 photos above show close-up views of some of the stem leaves (ventral leaf: upper left and dorsal leaf: upper right) and inflorescence (lower photo) of western wormwood (ssp. candicans) as seen on the west bank of the Deschutes River at its mouth.........September 29, 2007.
Paul Slichter